Community Needs & How Franchise Businesses Bridge the Gap

July 1, 2013

Within some of the more affluent community areas in the US, the number of successful businesses is usually great and many franchise business owners interested in these areas that manage to find ideal real estate locations may find the payoff is also great as their business grows. What though about lower income communities that are often under-served without adequate resources? Enter franchising, an industry that offers various communities access to goods and services, while benefiting local business men and women in the area.

Franchising offers investors of any gender and any ethnic background the chance to deliver practical services to communities that need them most, and the reward is great. Businesses offering practical products and services are often able to thrive in lower income communities where local residents are without legitimate, quality business operations. These can include restaurants beyond quick service and take away options, laundry cleaning and dry cleaning facilities, gas stations, automotive repair and maintenance shops, day care and education centers for children, and delivery and packaging services.

When entrepreneurial minded franchisees invest in businesses that serve lower income communities, opportunities develop on all sides. Communities under renovation or facing new development projects are fertile territory for new businesses to flourish alongside the entering residents in need of services. New franchise businesses can jump start changes in communities and fuel positive development. The franchise industry allows investors of all backgrounds to enter part-time semi-absentee arrangements to supplement income or create a full-time career in franchising. By bridging the gap in a community with a real need, franchisees often experience an influx of support from locals. This has been the case in many lower income communities in US cities across the country where newly established franchises experience success with local consumers.

Franchisees interested in offering a business service in a lower income area can discuss their options with selected franchisors, including access to financial support, choosing the right location, and branding and operation training for the specific business concept. Prior to this though, franchisees must choose the types of franchises that most attract their attention. Skill set, talents, and personality can figure into which type of franchise to invest in, which means assessing goals and increasing the chances of success by comparing skills with particular franchises. Individuals with an interest in people and a socially engaging personality add much to any franchise concept, though such traits work particularly well in certain segments, such as food service. Individuals with an interest in children may work well in the childcare franchising segments, while those with a penchant for handling machinery or working with their hands may find auto franchises appealing.

Access to training, support, and funding guidance to open a franchise is available for all business owners through a number of dedicated organizations, with special emphasis in more recent years being placed on the particular needs of women and minority franchisees stepping into business operation. Benefits of franchising and small business operation include support opportunities that focus on starting a successful business and navigating operation day in and day out with numerous information and resource channels, such as the International Franchise Association (IFA), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Information Center available through Franchise Direct. These resource channels are available for potential franchisees interested in starting a business throughout the various communities in special need of the quality and consistency offered by franchising.